After asking the NSW minister for Crown Lands, Steve Kamper MP, whether a new lease agreement between Red Devils Park and Crown Lands will result in long-term campers being evicted, his office hand-balled the question to Crown Lands in the Department of Planning and Environment.
A spokesperson told The Echo, ‘The Crown reserve at Bangalow Road, Byron Bay, is held under lease by the Byron Bay Rugby League Football Club for sporting activities, which authorises the use of playing fields and a clubhouse only. The club has historically advertised for camping onsite and encouraged travellers to stay’.
‘The club has been advised by Crown Lands that short-term camping is not consistent with the lease purpose, and does not have development consent from Council to operate. The club has issued notices for campers to leave its leased area’.
The spokesperson said, ‘It is understood several persons remain camping on adjoining Crown Land outside the lease area, which is separately managed by Byron Shire Council.
‘Crown Lands has been in contact with Byron Shire Council. It is understood that Council is not actively seeking to move on any genuinely homeless people.
‘Council advised it regularly works with homeless people in the Shire to connect them to services that may be able to assist them.
‘Council has offered to provide assistance to connect campers with support services if needed.
‘Crown Lands is not requiring the Council to remove any genuinely homeless people from the adjoining Crown reserve managed by the Council’.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
